Automatic firearm.



PATBNTED AUG. 30, 1904.

T. 0. JOHNSON.

' AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

APPLICATION FILED 10110.26. 1963.

N0 MODEL.

Patented August 30, 190

THOMAS C. JOHNSON,

OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO \VINCHESTER REPEATING: ARMS CO., OF NEl/V HAVEN, CONNECTP I CUT, A CORPORATION.

' AUTOMATIC FIREARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 769,089, dated August 30, 1904. Application filed December 26, 1903- Serial No. 186,541. No model.)

To ILU/ 1071,0711, it TIL/Ly concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS C. JOHNSON, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Interchangeable-Barrel Automatic Firearm; and 1 do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the numerals of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part .of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a broken view, partly in elevation and partly in vertical longitudinal section, of

the gun-frame structure of a take-down gun I embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a detached broken view, in side elevation, of one of. the interchangeable barrels provided for use in my improved gun Fig.3, a broken view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the gun-frame structure, showing the barrel extension pushed forward and the barrel partly unscrewed; FigA,a broken view, partly in side elevation and partly in section, show ing the fore-stock and magazine detached and the magazine partly drawn forward out of the fore-stock" Fig. 5, a broken View, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section, showing the retention in the gun-frame of the barrel extension by the breech-block through the medium of the ejector carried thereby; Fig. 6, a detached crosssectional view of the barrel extension (shown in full size) on the line a b of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrow 0 thereon; Fig. 7, a detached view of the barrel-closing spring.

Heretoforc the huntsman has generally provided himself with a double-barreled shotgun having a cylinder-bore barrel for use in killing small game and a choke-bore barrel for use in killing larger game, or he has provided himself with two guns, one having a cylinderbore barrel and the other a choke-bore barrel. It has, however, been proposed to produce a shotgun provided with two or more inter changeable barrels; but these guns have necessitated the interchange of more parts than simply the barrels themselves and have been I having certain details of square threads 4; and the objectionable on that account, as well as expensive and heavy.

The object of my present invention is to produce a tubular-magazine automatic firearm of asimple, reliable, compact, and convenient construction in which two or more barrels may be easily and quickly interchanged without the use of special tools or the exercise of any skill and without the interchanging of any parts other than the barrels themselves, whereby with the minimum of expense, of load to carry, and of inconvenience the huntsman is provided, in eflect, with a cylinderbore shotgun and a choke-bore shotgun or, if desired, with a cylinder-bore shotgun and shotguns having difierent degrees of choke.

With these ends in view my invention consists in a tubular-magazine automatic firearm binations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in 'the claims.

For the illustration of my invention I have chosen a gun of the construction shown and described in my pending patent application, filed June 29, 1903, and serially numbered 163,630. 1 do not limit myself, however, to utilizing my invention in a gun of that particular construction, as it may be embodied in guns different therefrom in many particulars.

In carrying out my shown the gun is furnished with acylinderbore barrel 2 and one choke-bore barrel 3; but, if desired,

the gun may be furnished with two or more choke-bore barrels having different degrees of choke. vided at its breech end with cross-sectionally barrel 3 with crosssectionally square threads 5', these threads being adapted to take into corresponding threads. 6, formed in the front end of the barrel extension 7 which is normally located within the gun-frame 8, in which it recoils with the barrel. As shown, the cylinder-bore barrel 2 is in the gun and the choke-bore barrel 3, provided at its threaded end with a protectingsleeve 9, screwed on over its threads for the protection of the same. This sleeve will be shifted from one barrel to the other, so as to The barrel 2 is pro-,

construction and com- 7 invention as herein be kept on the barrel not in use. If more .than one extra barrel is used, a corresponding number of these sleeves will be needed. Each barrel is provided. with an integral depending barrel-stop in the form, as shown, of a ring adapted in diameter to slide freely over the tubular magazine 11, which is passed through it from front to rear, the magazine being furnished at its rear end with threads 11, adapting it to be screwed into and unscrewed from a threaded magazine-opening 12, formed in the lower portion of the front \end of the gun-frame 8, To adaptthe maga- -zine to be readily and easily screwed into and unscrewed from the gun frame by hand and Without the use of special tools, it is provided at its forward end with a fixed or integral annular take-down flange 13, formed, as shown, with several radial holes 14 for the reception of a heavy pin (not shown) or theshort studs or pins of a spanner-wrench. The said takedown flange 13 also forms a fore-stock tip, for

which purpose its rear face is made with anannular recess 15 for the reception of a circular tenon 16 at the forward end of the wooden fore-stock 17, the rear end of which is furnished with a corresponding tenon 18, entering a corresponding recess 19 in the gun-frame and concentric with the magazine-opening 12 therein. Under this construction the forestock 17 'is supported by the take-down flange 13 and the gun-frame 8, both as to endwise and lateral movement and not by the magazine 1.1, which, as'will be seen by reference to Figs. 1 and 4, clears the-fore-stock throughout the length thereof, so that the magazine may be turned freely without binding in the fore-stock, the chamber 17 of which is larger than the diameter of the magazine. The said magazine 11 is also formed with an integral stop-shoulder 20, positioned upon it so that when the gun is assembled itvwill be located in front of the barrel-stop 10 of any of the gun' barrels and form an abutment for a buffer in the form ofa washer 21, against which the forward face or edge of theharrel-stop 1O impinges to stop the return or forward movement of the gun-barrel under the influence of the barrel- :losing spring 22, which encircles the rear portion of the magazine and impinges at its ?orward end against the rear face or edge of he barrel-stop l0 and at its rear end against be lower portion of the front end of the gunran e The passage of the magazine 11 rearward hrough the barrel-stops 10 of the gun-bar- 'els operates to lock them against turning or vorking loose under the shocks of use, the magazine constituting, in effect, a boltfor holdng the barrels against turning. That being )I'OVldGd against, I preferably form the barels with cross-sec'tionally square threads, as lready described, because theyare stronger nd better adapted than cross-sectionally anular threads to be used in situations where l l i the barrels are not designed to be solidly screwed home by means of a vise:and tools, for it is to be understood that in my improved gun the barrels are ,notto be screwed home so but what they can be unscrewed by hand. In an ordinary gun the barrel must be screwed home solidly, so that it will not turn and work loose when the gun is in use; but, already explained, this is not necessary in my gun, because the barrel-stop and the magazine form a lock to prevent the barrel from turning. In my gun the barrel may be said to be removably coupled to the gun s ructure rather than solidly united thereto.

The said barrel extension 7 contains an independently-movable breech -block 23, furnished with a pivotal locking-block 24, which when lifted enters a locking-recess 25, formed in the -upper wall of the extension, whereby the said block is locked in its recoil-taking position to the extension, so that the barrel 2, barrel extension 7, and block 23 recoil together. The said locking-block 24; is operated by means of an operating rod or bar 26, the forward end of which is pivotally connected with it and the rear end of which projects sufliciently beyond the rear end of the gunframe 8 when the gun is taken down, as shown in Fig. 1, to permit it to be seized by the fingers and operated manually for'the purpose of unlocking the bolt from the barrel extension, which is thus freed to be moved forward nearly out of the frame preparatory to the detachment of the barrel from the extension, as will be hereinafter described. An ejector 27 mounted in the left-hand side of the forward end of the breech-block 23, coacts with an ejecting-shoulder 28, forming the rear wall of a long clearance slot or groove 29, formed in the innerface of the left-hand wall of thebarrel extension, in ejecting the spent shells from left to right out of the barrel extension andthrough the right-hand wall of the gunframe. This is the primary function of the ejector 27 and ejecting-shoulder 28; but they also assist in my improved gun in retaining the barrel extension in the gun-frame when the gun is taken down and the barrels are being interchanged. At this time the shoulder 28 of the extension strikes the ejector 27, carried by the breech-block, the lug or stop 30 of which engages with the gun-frame and which in turn through its ejector 27 stops the forward. movement of the banrel extension', which is thus prevented from coming out of the forward end of the gun-frame. It will thusbe seen that when the gun is taken down the ejector 27 constitutes a retainer for the barrel extension and that the lug 3U constitutes a retainer for the breech-block. The said lug 30 corresponds, as I may here mention, to the lug 151 of the cartridge-controller shown and] described in my said pending application, which may be referred steps the forward movement of the block,

vIO

, it were, two independent organizations.

to fo a more detailed description of the construction and operation of the gun so far as the barrel extension, breech-block, ejector, locking-block, and operating-bar are concerned.

Preparatory to interchanging one barrel for another in my improved gun the same must be taken down, so to separate the gun-frame and the parts organized therewith from the guard frame or tang and the parts organized tl'lerewith on the principle of construction shown in my said pending application. In the drawings filed with this application 1 have considered it unnecessary to show the gnarl-frame and its coordinated parts and have illustrated only the gun-frame and its coordinated parts, the gun-frame and the guard-frame and their parts forming, as The gun having been taken down preparatory to interchanging one barrel for another, the magazine is unscrewed from the gun-frame. This is readily and easily accomplished without the use of any tools other than of a simple pin or rod, which is inserted into one of the openings 14 in the take-down flange 13 at the front end of the magazine and using the pin as a lever. Of course a spannerwrench might be used for the purpose in place of a pin, or the said take-down flange might be made with flattened faces to permit the use of an ordinary wrench. This last suggestion is thought to be too plain to require illustration. When the magazine is unscrewed, so that the threads 11 at its rear end are cleared from the threads of the magazine-opening 12 in the gun-frame, the magazine and the fore-stock 17 are detached from the gun by drawing them straight forward. The locking block 24, mounted in the breech-block .23, is now manually drawn downward out of the locking-recess 25 in the barrel extension 7 by means of the operating rod or bar 26, the projecting rear end of which is seized by the fingers. The drawing down of the locking-block into its unlocked position releases the barrel extension and permits the barrel and barrel ex. tension to be pushed forward with respect to the gun-frame 8 by the barrel-closing spring 22 until the shoulder 28 of the barrel extention engages with theejector 27,- carried by the block 23, which is then drawn forward by the barrel and barrel extension until the lug, or stop-30, carried by the block, engages with theforward end-of the gun-frame, as shown in Fig."2. By this time the spring will have practically, if not entirely, reached its full extension and may be easily removedif it does not drop out of itself. In either event the barrel extension-though projected from the gun-frame will be retained therein through the medium of the breech-block, which is also retained therein 'by the engagement of-the lug or stop with the frame. The barrel having previously been unlocked by the removal of the magazine is now easily and readily unscrewed from the barrel extension. Thisis done by hand and without the use of tools, for, as before explained, as the barrel is normally locked against rotation by its depending barrel-stop and the magazine which acts as' a bolt it is unnecessary to screw the barrel solidly home. The barrel having been removed from the barrel extension, the other barrel, or, if more than one extra barrel is provided, one of the other barrels, is screwed by hand into the barrel extension. The barrel-closing spring 22 is now restored to its position between the rear face of the barrel-stop and the front end of the gun-frame, the fore-stock is returned to its place, and the magazine is passed from front to rear through the fore-stock and through the barrel-stop of the barrel and entered at its threaded rear end into the threaded magazine-opening in the gun-frame, into which it is screwed home by the use of a pin or spanner-wrench, as before described. Of course the rear end of the magazine can not be entered into the gun -frame until the barrelherein shown and described may be made.

closing spring has been compressed, which is done by seizing the barrel and forcing the same rearward, whereby the barrel extension is forced back into the gun-frame. This completes the operation of interchanging one barrel with another in my improved gun, the operation being quickly and easily performed without the use of special tools and without the exercise of any special skill on the part of the huntsman.

It is to be particularly noted that no parts of the gun are in duplicate, in which respect my improved gun is different from a proposed construction in which the gun has been provided with interchangeable barrels and barrel extensions.

It is apparent that in carrying out my invention some changes fronrthe construction I would therefore have it understood that I do not limit myself thereto, but hold myself at libertyto make such departures therefrom as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of my invention. It is apparent also that my invention is applicable to the manufacture of interchangeablebarrel rifles, whereby riflebarrels differentiated in bore may be used in the same gun.

Having fully described my invention, what I I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an interchangeable-barrel tubularmagazine automatic firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a reeoiling barrel extension mounted in the said frame, a recoiling' barrel threaded for being removably mounted in the said barrel extension so as to be interchanged therein with other barrels, a tubular magazine threaded for being removably mounted in the said frame and provided at its front end with a fixed take-down the said take-down flange.

flange by means of which it is engaged for the barrel fromjrotating when the gun is assembled, a fore-stock supported at its rear end by the gun-frame and at its forward end by the said take-down flange, and means for retaining the said extension in the frame when the gun is taken down.

.2. In an interchangeable-barrel tubularmagazine automatic firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a recoiling barrel extension mounted in the said frame, means for retaining the-said recoiling barrel extension in the said frame when the gun is taken down, a recoiling barrel threaded for being removably mounted in the said barrel extension so as to be interchanged therein with other barrels, a barrel-closing spring, a tubular magazine threaded for being removably mounted in the said frame and provided at its .front end with a fixed take-down flange by means of which it is engaged for being screwed into and unscrewed from the said frame, a stop-shoulder on the magazine, a barrel-stop depending from the recoiling barrel and coacting' with the magazine to prevent the barrel from rotation and coacting with the stopshoulder on the magazine to limit the forward movement of the barrel by the said spring, and-a fore-stock supported at its rear end by the frame and at its forward end by 3. In an interchangeablebarrel tubular- J magazine automatic firearm, the combination with the frame thereof, of a recoiling barrel extension mounted in the said frame, a breechblock, an ejector mounted in the breech-block and coacting with the barrel extension to retain the same in the said frame When the gun is taken down, a stop carried by the said breech-block to retain the same in the said frame when the gun is taken down, a recoiling barrel. threaded for being removably mounted in the barrel extension for being interchanged therein with other barrels, a bar'- rel-closing spring, a tubularmagazine threaded for being removably mounted in the said frame and provided at its front end with a take-down flange by means-of which it is engaged for being screwed into and unscrewed from the frame, astop-shoulder on the magazine, a barrel-stop depending from the recoiling barrel and coacting 'with thesaid stopshoulder on the magazine for limiting the forward movement of the barrel and coacting with the magazine for preventing the barrel from rotation, and a fore-stock supported at its rear end by the gun-frame and at its forward end by the said take-down flange.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. THOMAS C. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

CLARA L. WEED, :GEORGE D. SEYMOUR. 

